More thrills as Global Village opens doors

This year’s edition of the Global Village in Dubai, UAE, is set to open its gates on October 21. Now in its 17th year, this year will be its longest running season, open for 161 days, with a closing date on March 30, 2013.

Speaking to TTN, Global Village chief executive Saeed Ali bin Redha said the extended season was planned following demand from visitors last year. Last year, the Global Village welcomed nearly five million visitors. It also opens in time for the expected influx of visitors during the Eid Al Adha holidays.

'Global Village is known today as a seasonal theme park. With the support of the Government of Dubai, it has become a brand that is well known not only in the UAE and the Middle East but across the world. Though we are seasonal, the brand Global Village remains alive all year round with various CSR activities, participation in various trade shows etc,' says bin Redha.

For UAE residents, Global Village is a one-stop destination for varied entertainment, dining, theme park, merchandise, all under one umbrella. Its popularity with the residents and visitors continues to grow and bin Redha expects to cross the five million visitors mark this season.

Bin Redha adds, 'Our seasonal model has worked very well for us. Every year we welcome over 2,500 investors to operate under the umbrella of Global Village every year as well as bring on-board a team of over 10,000 people employed during the six months. We believe this is the best model both for us, as organisers as well as for retailers who get the opportunity to do business in Dubai.'

'The uniqueness of Global Village is that every season there is something new – from live performances, authentic handicrafts from around the world, exciting rides and local and international food stalls. This year, we have increased the number of cultural shows and visitors can expect to see more performances – from Bollywood to European operas. There will also be a wide variety of kids activities including a newly launched train ride that will take them across the length and breadth of Global Village.'

'This year we have also increased the scale of the show as well as the leasable area by 18 per cent over last year. As part of our CSR activities, we will continue to provide pavilions for the Sheikh Mohammed Establishment to support SME’s, the Khalifa Foundation, which will highlight local, hand-made artefacts and goods as well as a kid’s bazaar for second hand toys and books,' adds bin Redha.

Over the years, Global Village has expanded from first hosting 18 country pavilions in 2007 to over 40 last year. This year, Global Village will welcome two new country pavilions – Brazil and South Africa while two more are currently under discussion.

This year, there are also plans to introduce a raffle draw, held against entry tickets, that is expected to attract a lot of interest from residents and visitors. Global Village will once again offer its visitors its VIP Package. The VIP pack is popular due to the exclusive offerings with prepaid entry tickets, funfair tickets in addition to valet parking passes, loyalty cards and stickers with special numbers that grant priority parking in the VIP parking area.